'You Can Steal Our Party Name, Can't Steal The Thackeray Name': Uddhav To Shinde As Matter Reaches SC

Addressing a press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said that the BJP plans to finish off Shiv Sena by snatching the party's name and symbol as part of a conspiracy.

New Delhi: Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday hit out at his successor Eknath Shinde over the issue of the Shiv Sena party name and symbol saying that "everything has been stolen" from him. Casting aspersions on the Election Commission's role, he claimed that if the present situation continues, "2024 Lok Sabha elections may turn out to be the last elections in the country."

"Everything has been stolen from me. The name and symbol of our party have been stolen but the name 'Thackeray' cannot be stolen. We have moved the Supreme Court against the decision given by the Election Commission, the hearing will start from tomorrow: Uddhav Thackeray," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

"If this (the current scenario in Maharashtra) is not stopped, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections may turn out to be the last elections in the country as after that anarchy will start here," he added.

He also challenged the Shinde-led Shiv Sena to not use the party's founder Balasaheb Thackeray's name and form a separate political outfit, "I challenge the Shinde faction to leave the name of my father and win elections using the name of their father, by forming a party".

As per news agency PTI, Uddhav alleged that the BJP plans to finish off Shiv Sena by snatching the party's name and symbol as part of a conspiracy.

"I had requested the Election Commission, that there is a matter of suspended MLAs in the Supreme Court and until the verdict comes, don't give your decision," the former chief minister mentioned.

"Election Commission should be dissolved, election commissioners should be elected by people," he stressed.

Earlier in the day, Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud for an early listing of the Thackeray-led Sena faction's petition.

The CJI, however, refused to pass any order, PTI reported.

According to ANI, Uddhav Thackeray in the plea stated that the ECI has failed to consider that they enjoy a majority in the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha. He submitted that the legislative majority alone, in this case, could not be the basis for passing the order by ECI.

Last week, ECI allotted the party name "Shiv Sena" and the symbol "Bow and Arrow" to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Notably, both factions of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray) have been fighting for the bow and arrow symbol of the party since Shinde (present Maharashtra Chief Minister) revolted against Thackeray last year.

In its order, ECI observed that the current constitution of the Shiv Sena party is undemocratic and has been "mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all", as reported by ANI. It said such party structures fail to inspire confidence.

While the Shinde faction welcomed the decision of being recognised as the real Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray faction said they would move the Supreme Court. The Uddhav Thackeray faction accused the Election Commission of haste and said the decision shows "it works as BJP agent".